chrono times apr 2010 - Ventura County

VENTURA COUNTY
Chrono Times
Established 2006
Newsletter for Chapter 190 of The National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors
Chapter 190’s Annual
Mini Mart Is This Month!
Don’t miss this event, it only happens once a year, and
this year promises to be our most exciting mart ever. In
addition to our clocks and watches, we will be including
other antique collectables such as jewelry, pottery, music
boxes, maybe a few old radios or phonographs.
Something of interest for everyone.
Mike Schmidt and Ernie Jensen, standing beside
this year’s grand prize, a ride in this vintage airplane.
(Mike & Ernie, weren't they on Sesame Street)
The Mart will be at the Commemorative Air Force
Museum again this year. Each attendee will receive a
ticket good for door prize drawings which include the
airplane ride, several nice clocks, and other goodies.
The show is open to the public and we expect a good
turn out as our event will be covered by the local
newspaper, the Ventura Star and the Camarillo Acorn.
We are offering a free service to the public this year,
much like the Antiques Road Show. Attendees can bring a
clock or watch and we will have experts available to give
appraisals and estimates for repairs if needed.
There will also be a special display of museum quality
clocks provided by Jim Chamberlain. He has an extensive
collection of clocks and will be showing four or five of his
most interesting ones.
Bill Fox will be there with his “TOP DOG”. The price
is right and the dogs are mighty tasty. Or, you may want to
try the Waypoint restaurant, located at the end of the
visitor airplane parking area, a short distance from our
hanger. Good food, open 8 AM to 4 PM on Sunday.
April 2010
A Vanguard Pocket Watch
by Paul Skeels
Four years ago my mother was finally persuaded to
clean out her garage. She had dozens of cardboard boxes of
“stuff” that had been left to her by her two maiden aunts, her
married aunt and uncle, and a bachelor uncle (all of whom
who died childless), her parents, and her in-laws. In one of
the last boxes we opened there was a small jewelry box
containing some of her mother's jewelry. They were placed
on top of some cotton to prevent them from bouncing around.
After removing those items the little box still felt heavy, so
we lifted up the cotton and found a wonderful Waltham
Vanguard pocket watch. It was my grandfather Lewis F.
Moss's first railroad watch.
Lewis (Gramps) was honorably discharged from the
Georgia National Guard in 1918. I remember him telling me
that his unit helped protect the border at El Paso against
incursions by Pancho Villa and that he was assigned to a
machine gun emplacement overlooking the Rio Grande.
Gramps's military papers list his specialty as a “driver” but
also show that he spent two days AWOL. (My guess is he
was involved in an incursion of his own over to Ciudad
Juarez.) After his discharge he moved to Santa Monica to
join his mother, brother and three sisters who had migrated
there from Georgia in the “teens.” Gramps got some work
driving for the Keystone Cops and was soon hired by
Southern Pacific. This watch was purchased for Gramps by
his mother, brother and sisters on that occasion.
The Waltham was made in 1918 and is a 23 jewel,
open face pocket watch in a 10k gold filled case, in very nice
condition. The inside of the back
cover shows about 17 neatly
inscribed watchmakers marks,
indicating that during the time
Gramps used the Waltham it was
annually calibrated and certified as
required by railroad regulations.
Years later he acquired a Hamilton
RR grade pocket watch, but that is
another story.
Three things I particularly
remember about Gramps, from when I was a small boy in the
1950's, are: 1) he was sensitive about his limp which resulted
from an accident near Calexico in which the engine ran over
part of his foot, 2) he let me ride with him on a few occasions
in the switching yard near Glendale, and 3) he would
faithfully wind his pocket watch and place it on a stand on his
dressing table each night. The Waltham is one of my most
prized heirlooms.
Officers and
Board of Directors
PRESIDENT
Mike Schmidt
(805) 988-1764 • [email protected]
VICE PRESIDENT & EDITOR
Ken McWilliams
(818) 718-8300 • [email protected]
SECRETARY & LEGAL ADVISOR
Paul Skeels
(805) 525-7325 • [email protected]
TREASURER
Alan Davis
(805) 659-7148
DIRECTOR • Historian
Richard Henderson
(805) 649-4138•[email protected]
DIRECTOR • Meeting Mart
Audio/Visual
William Robinson
(805) 642-7329 • [email protected]
DIRECTOR • Membership
George Gaglini
(805) 497-8381 • [email protected]
DIRECTOR • Education
Ferdinand Geitner
(805) 565-9097
DIRECTOR • Hospitality
Dutch & Dorothy Friou
(805) 985-6438 • [email protected]
DIRECTOR •Public Relations
Laurie Conti
(805) 813-2216 • [email protected]
CHAIRMAN •Door Prizes
David Rubright
(805) 484-5580 • [email protected]
CHAIRMAN •Annual Mart
Ernie Jenson
(805) 482-6021
E-Mail For Newsletter:
[email protected]
Web Site:
www.nawcc-ch190.com
WEBMASTER
David Coatsworth
[email protected]
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
By Mike Schmidt
Happy Spring to all of you! The Annual
Mart is this coming Sunday and the Mart committee
is working very hard to make this years Mart a great
family event.
At the time of printing this newsletter we have
over 60 tables of clocks & watches, horological
tools and books for all to buy. This year, for the first
time, we have given the table holders the option of
adding a few other antique items. Sixty percent of
the NAWCC member tables must be horological.
To other family members who wish to come along and enjoy the Museum and
the Mart, we have added a section with several tables of collectable jewelry &
antiques from the local community.
To help increase attendance for our sellers, the chapter has provided for
paid advertising in our local papers. We have invited the public to visit our
Mart and are Chapter members have offered to give free appraisals for clocks
and watches.
Each person attending the Mart will have a chance to win the drawing for
a half hour ride in a World War II Airplane, or for those who do not wish to fly,
there will be an opportunity to win a nice Antique clock or another great door
prize. The drawings will be at 1:00 P.M. and the winner must be present to
claim the prize.
To help all who attend to enjoy the Museum & Mart, the museum staff
will provide very knowledgeable docents to take groups on a tour of the
museum, the flying airplanes, and the airplanes in the restoration hanger.
To assist you with any hunger pangs “Top Dog Hot Dog”, Bill Fox will be
there with his all stainless steel cart, 100% Beef Hebrew National Hot Dogs
with all the fixings, chips and drinks and an upbeat attitude to enhance your
Mart experience.
We all look forward to providing all of our buyers and sellers with a
pleasant experience in Camarillo on Sunday.
See you at the Mart
Mike
Happy Birthday
David Delfino, Terry Flynn,
Donna Gaglini, Cathy Gillogly, Loren Miller,
Thomas Schmidt, Larry Smith, & Lee Wade
Tales From the Bench
by Ferdinand Geitner
Could You Clean Up The Case a “Little”
Customers have a tendency to drop phrases like “Can't
you just make it work” Translation: can you do the least,
cheapest repair just to get it ticking? This is one of the most
common ones.
The unfortunate thing is that nobody is really going to
be happy with that situation. The restorer likes to provide good
service which he can guarantee without any hidden problems
surfacing later and the customer really wants a perfectly
functioning timepiece.
Another favorite is “Could you remove that little spot
from the Dial?” If it's just dust sure but more often than not it is
slight corrosion or deterioration of paint or lacquer and the
whole dial has to be refurbished
But I digress; today I really want to talk about cases!
The same phrase “While you have it in pieces, can you clean
the case a little?” Sounds a little incidental and often neither
party realizes the implication. It's like removing a little spot
from a carpet which becomes the cleanest spot on the carpet
and now you have to clean the whole room.
Antique wood finishes are often difficult to touch up
and match exactly even though there are some excellent
products on the market. I tend to refer Wood finishes to
experts, my field is metals.
Metal cases, gold, silver plated or just lacquered
present their own challenges. I found the biggest problem over
the years was owners (or staff) trying to maintain that perfect
polished look by “polishing” the item. The part no one thinks
of is, how to remove, “clean off” all of the polishing compound
and solutions left in gaps and cracks. It creeps into every
crevasse continuing to attack the metal.
One really drastic case I received on my bench was a
beautiful silver and enamel desk clock about 2 ½ inches in
diameter which was polished beautifully by the new maid and
then she washed the remaining polish off in the sink with soap
and water. Actually, it’ the correct thing to do, but remove the
movement first! (By a watchmaker, of course)
The customer brought the piece to me a week later and
I had to show them a solid lump of rust which used to be a nice
pocket watch movement.
A polished surface sure looks nice but as soon as the
polishing is done the metal starts to deteriorate and one has to
polish at regular intervals removing metal and detail in the
process.
In Museum Conservation there is still controversy about how
to best protect metals from the atmosphere.
Lacquering is very effective and lasts a long time but
most discolor and it's harder to remove. Waxing is an often
used alternative; it protects and is much easier to remove, but
has to be applied more often as it wears off.
The British Museum developed a protective
Microcrystalline Wax which can be purchased.
I show some photos of cases before and after refurbishment
and damaging polishing residue. • Happy cleaning •
Clock “A” Before
Clock “A” After
Corrosion
Clock “B”
Imbedded polish
Ready for cleaning
After cleaning
CHAPTER 190 PEOPLE
by Robert Gary
Jim Chamberlain
While attending a Merced High School reunion
and introducing himself to the assembly, a fellow in the
audience, Harry Larson recognized Jim as a co-worker at
Litton Systems in the San Fernando Valley. Jim soon
learned that Harry's wife, Phyllis, was a fellow high
school classmate. Jim introduced Harry and Phyllis to
both the world of clock collecting, and to Chapter 75. All
have been deeply involved in horology since that time.
MARCH MEETING
Jim Chamberlain, a mechanical engineer by
training, is one of the best known and respected
members of Chapter 190, as well as several other
southern California chapters. Jim was first introduced to
clocks while working at the Naval Missile Test Center at
Pt. Mugu in the late 1950s. A co-worker asked Jim if he
would be interested in some old, American time and
strike clocks. Jim subsequently purchased three clocks
from him.
On his first repair attempt, he released the plates
with the springs under tension.
The resulting
“explosion” of clock parts and wheels taught Jim the
importance of letting the springs down first!
Jim was soon introduced to a gentleman in
Ventura whose son was importing clocks from Europe
by the container load. After Chamberlain purchased
several Vienna Regulators and at least one grandfather
clock, the seller suggested Jim join the National
Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, an
organization unknown to Jim. He subsequently became
a member of Chapter 4 in Paramount in 1964.
At his first ever Greater Los Angeles Regional,
Jim purchased his first mystery clock. He has worked on
virtually every type of escapement made and has taught
numerous workshops on the various escapement styles.
With the introduction of the suitcase classes by the
NAWCC, Jim completed 7 levels of the classes, and
proceeded to advance to the level of instructor. He has
taught several NAWCC suitcase classes and has
conducted seminars at many chapters and regionals.
Jim's main interest lies in the mechanics of
timepieces. He thoroughly enjoys analyzing a new
design to determine exactly how it functions.
Ken McWilliams presented a program on “Ithaca Clocks”
Members provided support by bringing in their clocks.
Kim St Dennis
Shows his Ithaca
Calendar clock.
Kathi Shefrey
shares her two
Ithaca calendar
clocks.
Jim Chamberlain
brought two very
rare and sought
after Ithaca clocks
EVERYMAN’S WRISTWATCH
(Part two: The round shaped watches)
by Henri Bonnet
In a previous article I have discussed some of
the square shaped wristwatches that were popular
around the nineteen fifties and sixties. The golden
age of the mechanical wristwatch unfortunately
declined in the seventies with the advent of battery
powered timepieces, and the quartz wristwatch in
particular. Eventually the quartz timepiece became
the watch of choice for most people and was nearly
responsible for the disappearance of its mechanical
counterpart altogether. Mass produced Japanese
quartz wristwatches were accurate and inexpensive.
But above all, even a moderately priced
mechanical wristwatch could not possibly compete
with the low price tag of an average quartz timepiece.
The result being that the few golden age
wristwatches still available on the market, rapidly
became collector items, and very few of those remain
today in pristine condition.
So, the seventies was the decade when
"everyman's" wristwatch became a quartz timepiece,
most of which were fitted with metal bracelets,
thereby nearly spelling the obsolescence of the
leather strap as well. It took more than twenty years
for the mechanical wristwatch to reappear in a timid
revival. In spite of that, the golden age of
"everyman's" mechanical wristwatch is seemingly
gone forever. The mechanical watch that passes for
today's "everyman's" wristwatch is by and large an
unaffordable timepiece that hardly resembles the
wonderful wristwatches of the fifties and sixties.
In addition, one would be hard pressed these
days to find a quality square shaped mechanical
wristwatch, suitably proportioned to the human
wrist, at any price. Unlike other golden age products
such as automobiles, radios and cameras, which have
evolved with industrial progress and knowhow, the
typical contemporary mechanical wristwatch is no
better, and often much worse than that of the past.
This is so, despite the wide availability of
sophisticated, computer controlled machine tools.
Taking into account the high cost of today's "quality"
mechanical timepieces, they seem to have become
accessible primarily to the well to do.
The following photos are a few examples of
round mechanical wristwatches worn by people in
the fifties and sixties. In a following article I will
discuss battery powered wristwatches as well as
chronographs of the period.
Left: A Hamilton automatic with a micro-rotor, which was rare
for an inexpensive wristwatch. Right: A Longines UltraChron automatic, featuring a high beat movement for high
accuracy.
Left: A Wittnauer automatic with calendar in stainless steel
with an attractive blue dial. Right: An Omega Seamaster
automatic with calendar, very popular among Swiss brands.
Left: A Mido Commander Ocean Star dress watch with a one
piece case and attractive dial. Right: A Revue Thommen
Cricket, a small and quite unusually loud alarm wristwatch.
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
A FSW 102 is offered for August 13-16 (Time & Strike
Barrel with Rack/Snail) coordinator Laurie Conti: 805 813 2216
emai:l [email protected]
This class is now full and is accepting standbys.
A FSW 103 is offered for December 3-6 “Introduction to
Chiming Clocks” coordinator Paul Skeels: 805 525 7325 email
[email protected]
A fourth FSW 101 will be presented in the fall. We will be
offering other Field Suitcase workshop as interest demands.
Please contact Mike Schmidt if interested in this workshop or any
other workshops. [email protected]
Latest Mart Up-date
Do you want to be a history detective and support a
good cause? Stop by the table with the clocks from UTU.
Mostyn Gale, from Santa Barbra, will be offering some
clocks for sale donated to the non profit charity called
UTU. UTU is a Swahili word
that means “compassion,
humanity of our fellow man:
the qualities that make us
unique as humans”. UTU is a
non profit that is helping the
50 million orphans in subSaharan Africa.
The mystery clock is
a very early weight driven
Banjo. The dial is hand
painted and signed, but the
signature is faded, the bezel
is cast, the case appears to be
the type from the Boston
area with no side arms. The
clock has a repair label from
“Dan'l Pratts Son” 1901. The
back of the clock has a date
May 1st 1872, possibly
another repair date. This
clock is offered at a
reasonable price along with
other clocks. The sale funds go to a very good cause.
• • • • • • •
Chapter 52 Los Padres members will be well
represented with 7 tables of horological clocks and
watches from the central coast. Two of these tables will
offer horological items from the estate of Jim Mahaffey.
• • • • • • •
A last minute entry to our mart is bound to sweeten
all of our dispositions. Rose Ann, of “Rose Ann’s old
fashioned fudge” will be selling her tasty wares at the
mart. Advertised as “The best in the world” and hand
made since 1985. She has 25 flavors and even some sugar
free choices.
New Items In The Clock Repair Market
by Ken McWilliams
Change comes very slowly to antique clock repair.
Clockmakers tend to get into a comfort groove with things that
work for them and strongly resist change. I know an old
clockmaker that still uses whale oil and no amount of data or
logic will ever convince him to change his ways. The synthetic
lubricants available to us today are, without question, far
superior to any of the animal, vegetable or petroleum oils of the
past. But clockmakers can be a stubborn lot.
One of the problems with new items is determining the
long term effect. Unfortunately, long term effects take a long
time to determine, and clockmakers aren't willing to take that
risk.
In the last month, two items for clock repair have come
to my attention that are note worthy.
The first one is called “Nano Oil” by St Claire. In the
oil are suspended millions of tiny pure carbon spheres.
(Diamonds) These are typically 60 to 70 atom clumps that are
about .09 microns. (1 micron = 1,000 nanos, or about 10,000
times smaller than a human hair.)
The theory is, these tiny charged particles are attracted
to metal and form a protective barrier that never allows the
metals to touch, thus drastically reducing friction. Many
fantastic claims have been made about Nano-oil.
Being curious by nature, I obtained some Nano-oil and
tried it on two applications. The first was an Urgos triple train
movement that would not chime or strike. (I usually just replace
these with new ones rather than repair them, this was one of
those) I wiped off the old oil and lubricated the chime train with
Nano-oil and put it on the test stand. It began to chime but was
very sluggish. By the next morning it was chiming normally.
The strike train still did not run so I lubricated it with the Nanooil also and put it back on the test stand. Within hours, it was
striking vigorously. It has been running flawlessly for 20 days. I
know, long term effect is still unknown.
The other application was a barreled mainspring. I
used an old Hermle unit for this experiment. A petroleum
grease had been used and was dried out. I cleaned the spring and
barrel then lubricated the spring with Nano-oil. While winding
it on an Ollie Baker spring winder I noticed that it felt very
smooth. I tightened it and let it down about twenty times. It
kept getting smoother.
Neither of these experiments are very scientific and
being an engineer, I won’t make any claims based on them. But,
I have to confess, It has peaked my interest and I will
investigate this lubricant on a much more controlled bases. It is
available in several weights and in a grease form. The one that I
used is 5w and is being sold as a horology oil. I think that it is
too thin and will use a 10w for my next tests.
The second item is “re-bushing using ball bearings.”
What?? I said the same thing when I first heard about it.
Guaranteed for life and never needs oiling. Mark Butterworth is
marketing these. He calls it “The Butterworth Bearing System”
or Butterbearings. The pivot range is from 1.0mm (.039”) to
6.0mm (.236”) They are intended for first, second and third
wheel applications. While I would never consider such a drastic
change for vintage clocks, there may be a place for this
approach in modern movements, such as Urgos, Hermle and
kieninger. Butterworth also sells the Nano-oil. For more info
call Butterworth Clocks at: 563 263-6759
CLASSIFIED PAGE
This page is dedicated to advertising for Chapter 190 members. It is, of course, free to members.
SERVICES OFFERED
Jorge Montoya
Complete Watch Service Center
The Tic Toc Shop
Clock
Repairs,
Restorations
& Appraisals.
The Clock Gallery
Serving All of Ventura County
Precision Repair - Service - Restoration
Grandfather - Wall - Mantel - Marine Clocks
House Calls • Packing & Moving
805-497-8381 or 805-647-0699
e-mail: [email protected]
Ken McWilliams
(818) 718-8300
FOR SALE
Repair & Restore all American & Swiss watches.
12 years as a Rolex technician. We maintain a
complete shop with all the latest equipment.
(562) 531-0545 • (562) 688-6171
E-mail: [email protected]
Pacific Coast Clocks
In business since 1977.
Sales and Restoration of both new and antique
clocks. Repair of all types of mechanical clocks.
Loren Miller proprietor.
4255 E. Main St., No. 15, Ventura, Ca. 93003
(Located in Firehouse Plaza at Main St. and Telephone Rd)
Monday through Saturday 10:00 to 6:00 pm.
Tel. 805-650-8800
Watch Repair Tools & More!
I will have a huge selection of watch repair
tools and other items from my latest estate
buy at the Chapter 190 meeting.
Dave Coatsworth
[email protected]
WANTED
URGENTLY NEEDED,
VISIBLE ESCAPEMENT MOVEMENT
French type-platform escapement (no pendulum)
Winding hole spacing of 38.9 mm, (1.53“)
Repairable, other details available on request.
Bob Reichel, [email protected] Ph: 1-206-364-7374
- SALEM CLOCK PART Need a warning wheel for a 3" diameter Salem ship's
strike movement. I might be willing to buy an entire
working movement or something in between.
Please contact:
Virginia Norwood Tel: 310 455-3028
Antique French 2 or 3 dial calendar clocks.
Antique English 2 or 3 gear-train skeleton clock.
Loren Miller, Pacific Coast Clocks
4255 E. Main St., No. 15, Ventura, Ca.
Located in Firehouse Plaza (Main St. & Telephone Rd.)
Tel. 805-650-8800
- Chronometer Hamilton 21 Marine Chronometer in running condition, with
inner box and gimbals; outer box not essential.
Please contact: Giorgio Perissinotto
E-mail: [email protected]
- Watch Repair Tools I’m just starting out and need just about everything.
I would prefer to purchase an entire collection of old
watchmaker’s tools.
Please contact:
David Clarkin Tel: 805-988-4384
Local NAWCC Happenings
Stagecoach Inn Museum
“Antique Faire”
April 24 •10AM to 5PM
Thousand Oaks, CA
Chapter 75 will provide
Clock & Watch evaluations to those attending
Chapter 81
“Inland Counties Faire”
Saturday April 24, 9AM to 1PM
Palomares Park Senior Center
499 East Arrow Highway, Pomona, CA
Chapter 69
“GoodTyme Supermart”
Saturday May 22, 9AM to 1PM
El Bekal Shrine
1320 Sanderson Ave., Anaheim, CA
April 2010 Issue
AT THE
CAMARILLO AIRPORT
APRIL 18
NEXT MEETING
If Undeliverable return To:
17738 Superior St. Unit 21
Northridge, CA 91325
Chrono Times
ER
APT
190
R
T UC
CH
A MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
for Ventura County Chapter 190 of the NAWCC
N C
VE NAW
NEW
RENEWAL
PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY
Date:
Name: (First)
(Last)
Phone:
Street address:
City:
State:
E-mail:
Birth Day: (Month)
(Day)
Person to contact in the event of an emergency: Name:
Zip:
NAWCC #
Membership in the NAWCC is required
Phone:
What is your clock/watch interest?
(Check all that apply)
I collect clocks
I collect watches
I have a basic understanding of
I have studied
clock
watch repair via books, videos, or by
attending classes. I repair clocks mostly as a hobby.
clocks
watches and have repaired a few as a hobby.
I have been repairing
clocks
for over 5 years and am familiar with
many types of movements. I repair clocks for pay and as a hobby.
I have a well equipped shop and can repair most
clocks
watches.
I have an extensive knowledge of clock/watch design, function and repair
techniques. Most repairs are for pay.
I am a serious collector of
clocks
watches and have a very
good knowledge of their history, models and value.
Why do you want to be a member of Chapter 190?
Would you like to volunteer in helping Chapter 190 achieve its goals?
Yes, how can I help?
No, not at this time
Membership in Ventura chapter 190 of the NAWCC requires that you also be a member of the parent organization, The National Association of Watch
and Clock Collectors. If you are not a member, you may join online by going to their website at www.nawcc.org, or you can contact us and we will
send you an application.
Chapter dues run from January 1st to December 31st. Annual dues are $25.00 for immediate family.
Family membership dues $25.00
Please make checks payable to;
Membership includes spouse and other family members.
Other members names.
Chapter 190 NAWCC
Mail this form & check to:
George Gaglini
970 Jonquill Ave., Ventura, CA 93004
NOTE: Spouse or family members do not have to be a NAWCC member
when accompanying the primary member to chapter events.
Signature
FOR CHAPTER USE
Date received
Added to mailing list. Date
Notes:
Amount received $
Membership card sent. Date
Member ID number;